as in tale
a traditional description of imaginary events circulated orally among a people
West African folktales that continue to be passed from generation to generation through storytelling
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Recent Examples of folktale
Briar Rose is the name of Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm version of the folktale, and in the Disney version, the character Aurora is referred to as Briar Rose as a child.
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Lia Beck, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Julia, who studied music and theater at Harvard, is currently developing a musical based on the Korean folktale of Simcheong, a filial daughter who sacrifices herself for her blind father.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
The phrase derives from a folktale about a railroad worker named John Henry who was said to have outperformed a mechanical steam drill and then died of exhaustion.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The genre has a long, diverse history According to the Library of Congress, the roots of country music can be traced back to the 17th century when European immigrants and enslaved Africans brought their folktales, folk songs, instruments, and musical traditions to North America.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Lia Beck, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Julia, who studied music and theater at Harvard, is currently developing a musical based on the Korean folktale of Simcheong, a filial daughter who sacrifices herself for her blind father.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
The phrase derives from a folktale about a railroad worker named John Henry who was said to have outperformed a mechanical steam drill and then died of exhaustion.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The genre has a long, diverse history According to the Library of Congress, the roots of country music can be traced back to the 17th century when European immigrants and enslaved Africans brought their folktales, folk songs, instruments, and musical traditions to North America.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for folktale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folktale
Noun
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The tale is pilfered from the Aeneid, but Virgil would blench to see the curtain rise on Jupiter, dandling Ganymede, a beautiful boy, upon his knee.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel Hamnet imagined the relationship between the Bard and his spouse as an intimate tale of lust, compromise, joy, resentment, support, and sorrow.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Set in early-1960s New York City, the film follows a folk song singing Minnesotan with a guitar and a dream, rising from a coffeehouse performer to a counterculture legend.—
Hannah Kerns,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Music legend Garland Jeffreys dreamed of a more inclusive, less racist society and delivered his vision via song.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Then, in February, after an early version of the site was ready, a story about Shield Seniors and Tejasvi appeared in the Dallas Observer, bringing her to the attention of the people at AARP.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Getting Started With Beginning Meditation Steps Plenty of obstacles and myths abound that can keep you from taking the first step to meditate.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Inadequate medical advice can lead to injury, burnout or premature retirement from sports, and the persistent myth that pregnancy is an athletic liability can discourage sponsorships and media coverage.—
Starre Vartan,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This history lesson was not, however, the focus of the year two students, who clamored towards the phone box with Camilla in tow to try out a British tradition.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Only seven primary catchers have eclipsed 300 or more homers in MLB history.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For her, bedrooms and dining rooms, in particular, benefit from the romance and visual depth these prints offer.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
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The pair rekindled their romance after a five-month break in early 2025.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folktale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folktale. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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